This page maps sustainability in the pet industry across the value chain—from livestock and feed inputs to what reaches households. You’ll explore key greenhouse-gas drivers, including the role of livestock emissions and food-waste pathways. It also covers how packaging and plastics policies, recycling targets, and reporting practices influence recovery and demand for more responsible pet products.
Key Takeaways
- 18.2% of global direct GHG emissions from livestock are attributed to cattle, and cattle account for 65% of livestock-related methane emissions
- 5.3 gigatons of CO2e per year is the estimated global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock (FAO estimate for 2006)
- Textiles and packaging represent major shares of municipal waste streams; packaging waste is among the fastest-growing plastic sources (OECD Global Plastics Outlook)
- Global household food waste is estimated at about 631 million tonnes annually (FAO food loss and waste estimates)
- The circular economy framework in the EU includes a target to use 10% of secondary raw materials by 2030 (EU Circular Economy Action Plan indicators)
- By weight, aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the EU, with the EU achieving 70%+ recycling rates in recent years (European Commission data)
- In the U.S., food is the second-largest source of landfill methane, and wasted food contributes to emissions (EPA data)
- EU packaging and packaging waste targets require that member states reach 50% recycling by 2025 and 55% by 2030 (Directive targets)
- EU Single-Use Plastics Directive requires separate collection for certain single-use plastics and aims to reduce plastic pollution (Directive framework)
- The global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research estimate)
- The global pet care market size was estimated at $261.8 billion in 2023 (IMARC Group estimate)
- In 2024, the global pet food market was valued at $125.3 billion (Fortune Business Insights estimate)
- A 2018 FAO estimate indicates 14% of food is lost at the post-harvest stage and before reaching markets globally
- Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a key driver of land and GHG intensity; beef cattle average FCR is about 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight (peer-reviewed estimates summarized in literature)
- In the EU, renewable energy accounted for about 22.1% of gross final energy consumption in 2022 (Eurostat)
Livestock and wasted food drive major greenhouse emissions, so greener pet production and packaging are urgent.
Related reading
01 · Category
Regulation & Compliance8 stats
01
In the U.S., food is the second-largest source of landfill methane, and wasted food contributes to emissions (EPA data)https://www.epa.gov/sustainability/learn-about-sustainability
02
EU packaging and packaging waste targets require that member states reach 50% recycling by 2025 and 55% by 2030 (Directive targets)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/852/oj
03
EU Single-Use Plastics Directive requires separate collection for certain single-use plastics and aims to reduce plastic pollution (Directive framework)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj
04
UK regulation requires extended producer responsibility schemes for packaging under the Packaging Waste Regulations (UK)https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/285/contents/made
05
The U.S. EPA requires reporting of greenhouse gas emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for large facilities (threshold-based)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-98
06
The Clean Water Act is the foundational U.S. law governing discharges to waters, affecting pet food manufacturing wastewater permitshttps://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act
07
The EU Chemical Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) authorisation framework covers substances that can affect supply-chain formulation, including additives in pet productshttps://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/authorisation
08
The EU REACH restriction/authorisation system requires authorization for listed substances of very high concern for specific uses, impacting chemical choices in pet supply chainshttps://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/registration-obligation
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
Across Regulation & Compliance, governments are tightening environmental reporting and waste rules, with the EU driving packaging recycling targets from 50% by 2025 to 55% by 2030 and the U.S. linking compliance to emissions through EPA requirements and landfill impacts from wasted food.
02 · Category
Energy & Operations5 stats
01
In the EU, renewable energy accounted for about 22.1% of gross final energy consumption in 2022 (Eurostat)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Renewable_energy_statistics
02
In the EU, electricity generation from wind and solar increased to 29% of electricity production in 2022 (Ember/Eurostat compilation)https://ember-climate.org/data/data-explorer/
03
Global wind power capacity reached about 1,017 GW in 2023 (IRENA Renewable Capacity Statistics)https://www.irena.org/publications/2024/Jun/Renewable-Capacity-Statistics-2024
04
ISO 9001 certificates in 2022 were over 1 million worldwide (ISO Survey)https://www.iso.org/news/ref2354.html
05
Over 4,600 companies had set science-based targets as of April 2024: June 2026 (Science Based Targets initiative)https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action
Interpretation
Energy & Operations Interpretation
For the Energy & Operations angle in the pet industry, the rapid shift toward cleaner power is clear, with renewables rising to 22.1% of EU final energy consumption in 2022 and wind and solar reaching 29% of electricity production the same year, mirrored globally by wind capacity hitting about 1,017 GW in 2023.
03 · Category
Waste & Circularity3 stats
01
Textiles and packaging represent major shares of municipal waste streams; packaging waste is among the fastest-growing plastic sources (OECD Global Plastics Outlook)https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/global-plastics-outlook-20615dcb.html
02
Global household food waste is estimated at about 631 million tonnes annually (FAO food loss and waste estimates)https://www.fao.org/3/ah923e/ah923e.pdf
03
The circular economy framework in the EU includes a target to use 10% of secondary raw materials by 2030 (EU Circular Economy Action Plan indicators)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0098
Interpretation
Waste & Circularity Interpretation
For the pet industry’s Waste and Circularity agenda, the fastest-growing plastic problem in packaging and the scale of global household food waste at about 631 million tonnes a year make the EU push to reach 10% secondary raw materials by 2030 especially urgent.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market & Consumer Trends3 stats
01
The global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research estimate)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sustainable-pet-food-market
02
The global pet care market size was estimated at $261.8 billion in 2023 (IMARC Group estimate)https://www.imarcgroup.com/pet-care-market
03
In 2024, the global pet food market was valued at $125.3 billion (Fortune Business Insights estimate)https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/pet-food-market-106173
Interpretation
Market & Consumer Trends Interpretation
Market and consumer trends in pet sustainability are gaining real momentum as the global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 while the broader pet food market is already valued at $125.3 billion in 2024.
05 · Category
Emissions & Footprint2 stats
01
18.2% of global direct GHG emissions from livestock are attributed to cattle, and cattle account for 65% of livestock-related methane emissionshttps://www.fao.org/3/i3437e/i3437e.pdf
02
5.3 gigatons of CO2e per year is the estimated global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock (FAO estimate for 2006)https://www.fao.org/3/a0701e/a0701e00.htm
Interpretation
Emissions & Footprint Interpretation
For the emissions and footprint in the pet industry, livestock are responsible for about 5.3 gigatons of CO2e each year, and within those emissions cattle alone contribute 18.2% of global direct GHG from livestock while accounting for 65% of livestock-related methane.
06 · Category
Overview8 stats
01
A 2018 FAO estimate indicates 14% of food is lost at the post-harvest stage and before reaching markets globallyhttps://www.fao.org/3/i2695e/i2695e.pdf
02
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a key driver of land and GHG intensity; beef cattle average FCR is about 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight (peer-reviewed estimates summarized in literature)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420918302637
03
$3.1 billion U.S. dollars was the estimated annual market value for functional pet supplements in 2023 (includes sustainability-fortified product segment demand in pet specialty categories)https://www.statista.com/statistics/1157310/pet-supplements-market-value-worldwide/
04
$1.4 billion U.S. dollars was the estimated annual market value for premium pet food in 2023 (premium segment size used in segment-level sustainability demand analyses)https://www.statista.com/statistics/751778/premium-pet-food-market-size/
05
14% of global companies reported sustainability performance using third-party assurance in 2023 (assurance adoption rate relevant to ESG reporting maturity in food manufacturing)https://www.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2024/09/assurance-of-sustainability-reporting.html
06
1.2% of plastic packaging in the U.S. was made with recycled content in 2022 (baseline recycled-content intensity for packaging relevant to pet packaging)https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data
07
By weight, aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the EU, with the EU achieving 70%+ recycling rates in recent years (European Commission data)https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/packaging-waste_en
08
6.0% of global municipal solid waste is food and other organic materials used to produce animal feed (including food waste sent to feed), excluding animal waste (OECD/FAO estimate used in the OECD outlook)https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-fao-agricultural-outlook-2024-2033_1cb1b1a6-en.html
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The pet industry’s sustainability landscape is shaped by major upstream and governance gaps, including 14% of global food lost before reaching markets, beef’s roughly 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight FCR driving land and GHG intensity, and only 14% of companies using third-party assurance in 2023, even as the market grows with $1.4 billion in premium pet food and $3.1 billion in functional pet supplements.
Reference
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)